Chef Luke Venner Joins elm in New Canaan & Presents New Menu Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 29, 2015 This Friday May 1, 2015, elm restaurant in New Canaan will introduce its new Executive Chef Luke Venner and his new, completely revamped menu. CTBites was invited to meet the new chef and have a glimpse of the changes that elm’s guests can expect from the new chef whose philosophy is "I prefer simple compositions with an emphasis on technique and seasonality. Chef Luke joins elm from BLT Fish in NYC where he was the Executive Chef. Born in South Dakota, some of his earliest memories include sitting with his grandfather on the family farm eating buttered sweet corn, cherries poached in syrup and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. He watched Julia Child on TV but his passion for the culinary arts was ignited when he saw “Great Chefs – Great Cities,” a behind the scenes documentary of chefs that included Daniel Boulud and Jean-Louis Palladin. He was one of twelve students in a European-style culinary training program in Colorado, where he was placed in the highly acclaimed Restaurant Picasso where he learned classical French techniques. After completing this four year program he joined Larkspur Restaurant in Vail, CO as the Chef de Cuisine and subsequently moved to Yountville, CA as the Chef de Partie of Redd Restaurant. He re-connected with, and joined, Chef Tyler Anderson as the Chef de Cuisine in the opening of Millwright Restaurant in Simsbury, CT where he was instrumental in the receipt of perfect reviews from every local Farmington Valley publication and the highest rating from the NY Times before moving to BLT Fish Read More
Wave Hill Breads Open For Bakery Tours Every Saturday! CTbites Team April 29, 2015 Central Norwalk’s award-winning artisan bakery, Wave Hill Breads, is now open to the public every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visitors will be greeted by the owners, Margaret Sapir and Mitchell Rapoport, or by the Chief Baker, Tim Topi, who can give you a tour of the bakery. They can also arrange for fun, educational group visits. While Wave Hill Breads is known primarily as a wholesale bakery, selling to some of the best restaurants and stores in the area, Saturdays offer local residents an opportunity to shop direct. Visitors will find many items not available at stores, such as just-out-of-the-oven-at-11 fresh Rosemary Roman Focaccia, Pumpernickel, Apricot Croissants, Wild Yeast Bread (Sourdough), and Cranberry-Walnut Demi-Baguettes. The bakery is located at 30 High Street, between Post Road and Wall Street, Read More
RIP Gates - 35 Years of Serving New Canaan Restaurant New Canaan Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 28, 2015 Gates opened its doors thirty-five years ago and continues to offer an array of dishes that keep this “elder statesman” on New Canaan’s Restaurant Row bustling seven days a week. The entrance is guarded by ornate gates and once you enter you are immersed into a large, open dining area with walls adorned by murals by Janet Picard, paintings and large terra cotta planters. Wander to the left and you enter the bar with a long oak bar with 12 seats and several booths. Both areas are normally filled with locals partaking of a drink after work, families enjoying dinner and regulars having a good time with friends. Read More
Amore Cucina & Bar Raises Money for Susan G. Komen Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 27, 2015 CTbites gives a very special Shout Out to Bruno DiFabio and his team at Amore Cucina & Bar in Stamford for sponsoring an entire day dedicated to funding breast cancer research. Today the restaurant was packed with pizza lovers to help Amore raise and donate 100% of the day’s proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Race to the Cure for breast cancer research. CTbites was on hand early to thank Bruno for his generosity and partake in one of his outstanding pizzas. The Ferentini pizza that we enjoyed was all the more special knowing that the entire bill was assisting in the research to eliminate a disease that strikes so many families in Fairfield County and the world. Over the last few months there have been numerous articles written about the outstanding food being served at Amore and we felt it was important to recognize people in the area who give back to the community. So CTbites raises a glass of wine and a delicious slice of pizza to applaud Bruno DeFabio and his team at Amore Cucina & Bar…nice job!!! 921 Hope Street - Stamford, CT - (203) 357-1066 Read More
Brunch Menu Launches @ Barcelona Fairfield, Stamford & West Hartford Restaurant Brunch Fairfield Spanish Stamford West Hartford Breakfast Stephanie Webster April 26, 2015 Who doesn’t love brunch? Sleepy weekend diners can conveniently avoid their own kitchens while enjoying an often decadent and relaxed morning meal. Plus, as a bonus, brunch is often accompanied by a well crafted cocktail. For this reason, we were pleased to hear that Barcelona Wine Bar has launched brunch service every Saturday and Sunday at several of their locations, including West Hartford, Stamford, and now Fairfield. As each Barcelona menu highlights the vision of their executive chef, brunch menus will vary slightly based on style, but bear a similar theme. To investigate this new kid on the brunch block, we decided to visit Chef Darren Carbone, who recently took over the Barcelona Fairfield kitchen, and who brings to the table, a little Latin flair. In looking at the new Brunch menu, it’s difficult not to get just a little bit excited. Entrées such as Duck Confit Hash, Chocolate and Dulce de Leche French Toast, and a Breakfast “Coca,” (grilled bread, mushrooms, egg and Sriracha), sound like solid reasons to get out of bed. Read More
Ticket Giveaway for Ridgefield's Battle of the Chefs 2015 Restaurant Events Fundraiser Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster April 26, 2015 Chefs Bernard Bouissou (Bernard’s), Silvia Bianco (formerly of Biscotti) and Prasad Chirnomula ( Thali) Battle of the Chefs returns to Founders Hall on Sunday, May 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. and CTbites has a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader. The culinary showdown event will feature Chefs Silvia Bianco, formerly of Biscotti, Bernard Bouissou of Bernard’s, and Prasad Chirnomula of Thali, with emcees and hosts Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster (yours truly). We are GIVING AWAY 2 seats to the May 17 Battle Of The Chefs event (a $200 value). We will randomly select 1 lucky winner with a pair of tickets. To enter for a chance to win, please post a comment on this story (you must include your email and name when commenting) telling us what you think the secret ingredient should be. [All comments will be considered made before the end of the day, May 1. Winner announced on May 4]. Read More
109 Cheese Summer Pop-up Shop in Kent Restaurant Cheese Kent Litchfield Ridgefield Amy Kundrat April 24, 2015 [updated] This summer 109 Cheese will expand to Litchfield County with a pop-up shop on Kent's beautiful Main Street with an expected opening date of June 6, bringing their cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, Farm Country Soups, and gourmet products to to the former Farm Country Soup location at 14 North Main Street. We will bring lots of our gourmet goodies, some local artisan favorites and best of all, our sandwiches and grilled cheese, plus we will have indoor and outdoor seating too! We are so excited to be expanding to Kent, an amazing town and destination. - Monica & Todd Brown 109 Cheese and Wine's homebase in "Ridgefield" will be operating as usual throughout the summer. Read More
Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Returns to New Canaan May 16 CTbites Team April 24, 2015 The Jamie Oliver Food Revolution returns to New Canaan, CT on Saturday, May 16th 10.00am – 12.00pm, once again getting kids and parents excited about food. The Bravery Passport was created to highlight Food Revolution Founder, Jamie Oliver’s wish: “To create a strong sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.” Families need to register in advance for a Bravery Passport, which lists participating New Canaan restaurants and food shops. Kids then go on a food trail, sampling tasters and getting a stamp for their passport. Food Ambassador Rachel Lampen says: “Last year New Canaan was buzzing with 350 local children visiting 16 different locations. They each sampled things they wouldn’t normally try - kale smoothies, tuna tartare, cockscomb, escargot, octopus, stewed calamari and stinky cheese. It was a crazy couple of hours but educational and huge fun for everyone. It also showcased New Canaan’s fabulous dining scene”. Read More
The Westport Farmers' Market Kicks Off Summer Season May 21st Ingredients Farmers Market Local Artisan Local Farm CTbites Team April 23, 2015 Thursday, May 21, the Westport Farmers’ Market (WFM) will kick off the 2015 summer season, celebrating a decade of fresh, local food. For the last ten seasons, the WFM has been cultivating community and nurturing an appreciation of real food, and the work that goes into growing it. It was June of 2006, when Paul Newman and Michel Nischan planted the first seed, and the WFM welcomed its first shoppers. With 14 vendors present that day, over 500 shoppers showed up to get a taste of something new. Now, about to embark on its tenth season, the WFM has blossomed into market boasting 45 vendors, food trucks, chef demos, yoga, organic eats, and even a pizza truck. And thousands of shoppers from all over Fairfield Country make the WFM Thursday market a destination. Read More
Weekly Nibble: DavidsTea, High West Bourbon, Picnics, Farm Dinners, Tequila Tasting + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 23, 2015 On Monday, April 27, FISH Restaurant in downtown Stamford will host a Michael David Winery wine dinner. Guests can try some of the winery's best bottlings during a Carnival themed Wine Dinner at FISH. DAVIDsTEA is now open at Westfarms Mall in Farmington, CT. Visit it on the 1st Floor of the Nordstrom wing. On Wednesday April 29, High West Bourbon and Mama’s Boy in Norwalk invite you to “Campfire & Charcuterie.” Enjoy bourbon pairings with dishes by Executive Chef Holly Michaud. $85 per person. Call 203-956-7171 to reserve. Join Barcelona Greenwich for “Spring Refreshers: Cocktails and Gazpacho” on April 28 at 7pm. Sip on craft cocktails while Chef Lucente demonstrates some great spring recipes. $30 per person plus tax and gratuity.Reservations (203) 983-6400. On April 29th, put some oomph in your picnic. Learn how to cook and pack an elegant meal you can share alfresco. 2 hour cooking demo features professional culinary instruction and demonstrations by Chopped Champion Chef Silvia Baldini and extra virgin olive oil pairings & education by Alina Lawrence of Olivette. $40 6:30-8:30 PM. Read More
Anaya Sushi: All-You-Can-Eat Sushi & Late Night Ramen in New Haven Restaurant Japanese New Haven Sushi CTbites Team April 22, 2015 Photo: Kathy D. Three-month-old Anaya Sushi, the Japanese restaurant located on Chapel Street in New Haven, recently introduced a $21 all-you-can-eat menu option. Pictured above is the Yale-themed "Handsome Dan" roll. Yale Daily News reported the restaurant will also extend its hours and menu with a "late night ramen house" option: Seeing the restaurant’s popularity, Kaoroptham said she also plans to open a late night ramen house in Anaya’s space when the sushi restaurant closes for the night. The proposed ramen restaurant would be open from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, according to the owner. Read the full story on Yale Daily News. Read More
Join the Walk Against Hunger w/ Connecticut Food Bank: 4 Locations! Fundraiser Stephanie Webster April 22, 2015 Registration is open for Connecticut Food Bank’s 2015 Walk Against Hunger! Four of the state’s largest cities are hosting the Walk Against Hunger, a community gathering that increases hunger awareness and generates much needed funds to combat hunger in Connecticut. The Walk Against Hunger will increase Connecticut Food Bank’s capacity to fight hunger and most importantly celebrates our New England Spirit of neighbor helping neighbor. Locations this year are: Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Haven & Norwich. All four Walks are 2.5 to 3 miles long with festiviites beginning at 1 p.m. Click on any of the Walk locations below to sign up and access “Walker Tools” to help you reach your fundraising goals. Read More
SAVOR Event Recap: A Celebration of Wine, Food & Spirits Hartford Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 21, 2015 Savor, billed as a “celebration of Wine, Food, and Spirits,” made its grand debut on April 11 and 12 in Hartford, CT. Event sponsors gave us a preview in March, and the actual festival was a resounding success. Savor offered guests a weekend filled with memorable wine, food, and demonstrations. Vicky Cirilli, event coordinator, promised wines focused on “quality not quantity.” CT Distributors offered just that, bringing in some of their best bottles for guests to sample. It seemed that the majority of the wines featured retailed for about $50 and were carefully chosen for the weekend. As a result, Savor attracted wine savvy guests eager to learn, making the experience especially enjoyable. Read More
Marcia Selden's Ultimate Chopped Salad Marcia Selden Catering April 21, 2015 You gotta love a chopped salad! There’s something so satisfying about all of the different textures, flavors and colors. Marcia Selden Catering wants to share their favorite chopped salad recipe with you; chock full of color and crunch with kale as it’s main ingredient. This is not only scrumptious but it’s incredibly healthy. It’s best to let the kale “cook down” in the dressing for at least an hour. Raw kale can be a bit hard to digest. Marcia’s Best Salad Dressing 1 C. extra virgin olive oil 1 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice Read More
Simply Delicious: Healthy To-Go Meals @ A Location Near You! Features Catering Westport Kaila Finn April 19, 2015 After the Simply Delicious mother-daughter team created a catering company, opened a restaurant, and made two kiosk locations, they have landed in the Westport Weston YMCA, serving on-the-go food and perfecting the art of the “satellite location” business. Lauren Peden, co-owner and chef, explained the goal of Simply Delicious is “to offer people on-the-go healthy meals for those that don't have the time to make meals at home.” Simply Delicious started catering parties six and a half years ago, right after Lauren finished classes at the French Culinary Institute. In a recent interview with Lauren, she said that “friends and other people wanted me to cater their parties, so I decided to make a business out of it.” Read More
Friday Froth: Brewers' Collaboration Beers Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon April 17, 2015 Life is better when you're among friends, and people have been gathering together over a beer or a beer-like substance for thousands of years now. Everywhere there are humans, we gather in the sun, the shade of palm fronds, or under a warm tavern roof to enjoy a few drinks and catch up on what's new. We host bottle shares and beer festivals and, increasingly, brewers have been working together across brands to combine their experience, just to see what happens. This week, Friday Froth is going to drink a few of the beers resulting from these evanescent partnerships between breweries. The beers themselves are friendship in a glass. Read More
Parallel Post & Half Full Brewery to Host Book Signing CTbites Team April 16, 2015 On Monday April 20, from 5-8PM join Parallel Post when they host a happy hour book-signing mixer sponsored by Half Full Brewery to celebrate the launch of "The Field Guide to Drinking in America: A Traveler's Guide to State Liquor Law" by Niki Ganong. Inspired by a relentless pursuit to understand America’s confusing liquor laws, Ganong spent the last three years researching each state’s history with alcohol as well as the current laws. The result is a different guidebook — one that keeps thirsty travelers informed about how to legally buy alcohol on the road. With colorful illustrations and arranged in a state-by-state format, THE FIELD GUIDE TO DRINKING IN AMERICA tells the story of America through alcohol in a narrative filled with interesting people, places, conflicts, and values all connected by the thread of alcohol. Parallel Post’s acclaimed Greg Genias is one of the book’s featured bartender and will be at the event to sign books and serve up his infamous cocktail concoctions. Read More
Instabites: Barcelona Brunch, #NHV Food Truck, Cafe Du Monde, Miami Peking Duck Restaurant Fairfield Miami New Orleans New Haven CTbites Team April 16, 2015 A few of our recent snackable moments from Instagram: Read More
Weekly Nibble: Chili Challenge, 'Green' Wine, Grilled Cheese Class, Tap Takeover @ The Gingerman + More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 15, 2015 Stratford Restaurant Week returns April 19 – 25. Over 20 of Stratford’s best restaurants are offering specially priced menus for restaurant week. Fairfield Cheese Company invites you to “Grilled Cheese: Beyond Kraft Singles and White Bread.” Chris show you twists on the classic and teach you how to make the ultimate grilled cheese. The class costs $45.00 and will be held at the Fairfield Location on Tuesday April 21 from 7-9pm and the Greenwich location Thursday April 23 from 7-9pm. Allagash Brewing Company takes over the taps at Gingerman SoNo on Wednesday April 22 starting at 6pm. Also on Wednesday, Harry’s in Fairfield hosts a “Green” Wine Class to educate you on organic, biodynamic, sustainable, and other environmentally friendly vino. It goes from 7:00-9:00pm and costs $35 for one session. Read More
Millstone Farm + Schoolhouse "Farm to Fork" Dinners On Sale May 1st Stephanie Webster April 14, 2015 The Schoolhouse At Cannondal & Millstone Farm are hosting their annual Farm To Fork Dinners again this summer and TICKETS GO ON SALE: May 1st at 10 AM! Join Tim LaBant and his team from the Schoolhouse at Cannondale for another summer of transforming farm fresh bounty into al fresco dining! Purchase tickets at TimLaBantEvents. Beginning at 6 PM, enjoy cocktails and a tour of beautiful Millstone Farm followed by four courses under the stars (weather permitting). Dinner is BYOB. Tickets are $126.35 per person (includes tax and gratuity). Tickets are first come first serve and are nonrefundable but may be transferred to another guest. Read More
